The annual “Dowcha Boy” fundraiser at Marsh Road in Skibbereen drew big crowds, with proceeds this year supporting the Andrew Brennan Fund.
Top contests included Michael Bohane defeating Martin Coppinger by nearly two bowls and David Shannon beating Donal Riordan after a dramatic back-and-forth battle.
Sunday’s action saw Brian O'Driscoll edge Shane Crowley, while Gary Daly won the final three-way showdown against James O’Donovan and Aidan Murphy to cap a successful weekend.​​

​​​

The Marsh Road, Skibbereen held the crowds this past weekend for their annual “Dowcha Boy” fund-raiser that this year will go to the Andrew Brennan fund. Eight scores were down for decision, the first of these, a senior between Michael Bohane and Martin Coppinger playing for a stake of €8,050 a-side. There was nothing between them after two each to the distillery entrance, Bohane marginally fore bowl. After two more to the end of the council yard Bohane extended his lead to fifty meters. Coppinger’s sixth not great only to the quarry gate, but from here he unleashed a huge bowl to go sight for the silvery gate and reduced Bohane’s odds down to fifteen meters. But this was as good as it got for Coppinger, Bohane made the steps in nine shots and Coppinger eleven to go almost two bowls down. Two more big bowls from Bohane to Thornhill Cross raised the second bowl for him, no lead for Coppinger in this one.

​

On the return route David Shannon played another Bantry man in Donal Riordan for a stake of €8,550 a-side. This was another trap to line score, with Shannon opening the first bend with his first shot and Riordan beating this tip by fifty meters in two. Shannon out the steps in three more where he had almost a bowl of odds. Shannon lined a huge bowl from the steps but Riordan followed it and beat it by forty meters. Heading for the silvery gates Riordan kept Shannon’s odds to thirty meters. Riordan got a super tenth shot just back of the lollipops, but Shannon lined another beauty just back of the quarry gate that Riordan only beat by twenty five meters his bowl was too far right. A terrible blunder from Shannon from here with his eleventh ran very high and played his bowl right into the green, but Riordan did not take advantage of this blunder as his next throw was very left and only made the veterinary clinic entrance. Shannon lined two massive last bowls to win by almost two bowls of odds.

​

In a doubles score Darragh Dempsey and James O’Sullivan teamed up to beat Liam Murphy and Willie O’Donnell by a bowl of odds for €3,100 a-side. After four shots each past the distillery entrance O’Sullivan and Dempsey had fifty meters of odds. At the veterinary clinic in five each O’Sullivan and Dempsey’s odds was only forty meters. O’Donnell got a super bowl to the quarry entrance, Dempsey beat this by thirty meters. Murphy’s next bowl got a bad take-off and only made the lollipops but it was enough to when them their first lead as Sullivan’s bowl was very right and missed the tip. After two more heading for the steps, Murphy and O’Donnell raised fifty meters. Sullivan made sight at the steps with his eleventh, Murphy’s eleventh looked caught left but rubbed out and just beat the tip to keep the score level. Dempsey didn’t get his next up to the middle and it turned back left, O’Donnell got a great bowl and extended their lead to forty five meters. O’Donnell and Murphy then got three poor bowls in succession to give the lead back to Dempsey and O’Sullivan. Dempsey lined a huge last that beat the line and they won by a bowl of odds.

​

In the last score of the day Naad man Edmund Sexton had a victory over Colm Crowley from Bauravilla, playing for a stake of €2,050 with the Carbery man favourite. Out the first bend in two each Sexton led by five meters. Sexton made out to the steps in there more excellent shots even if he was a bit lucky with his fifth, Crowley out in six keeping it under the bowl of odds. Another huge bowl off the steps from Sexton raised the bowl of odds as Crowley’s bowl was accidently blocked. Crowley’s next two were a bit erratic and three more, well played bowls from Sexton past the silvery gates to the top of the rise where he had the makings of two bowls. Crowley got a great bowl past the lollipops, Sexton was very tight left and just beat this tip, holding a bowl of odds advantage. A massive bowl from Crowley past the Quarry gates, but Sexton followed and beat this by thirty meters no mistake. Two more huge bowls past the council yard wall for Sexton where he won by almost two bowls.

​​

There was an upset in the City-East-North East Junior A championship when Sean Paul McDonagh, younger brother of Arthur beat last week’s Mick Young Cup winner Micheal John O’Brien by the last shot at Conna. They were both at the green in four shots where McDonagh had fifty meters of odds. At the Bridge McDonagh held the same odds. McDonagh made a bad blunder heading for the gas line that O’Brien took advantage of, he eventually took the lead at the silver tank and forced this score to a last shot. McDonagh’s odds was too much for the last shot and he won out easy in the end.

DAVID HUBBARD BEATS JOHN A.MURPHY IN CURRAHEEN

In a Junior B tournament score at Curraheen, David Hubbard from Beal Na Marbh beat John A.Murphy fromTemplemartin. Playing for a stake of €1,220 a-side. Murphy missed up sight in the first shot and Hubbard took advantage of this and beat tip by forty five meters. Murphy got a huge third back of Ballinora cross to take his first lead. After two more to Ryan’s Murphy’s odds was ten meters. Hubbard was back in front after the next exchange heading for the bridge. Murphy made the end of the bridge in two more and Hubbard had thirty meters of an advantage heading up that tough hill. Pass the riding school in eleven shots each Hubbard held odds of thirty meters. At Richards’s lane in three more Murphy had the odds back to five meters. Murphy went through Jimmy’s cross in two more but missed the line, Hubbard beat this by two meters for the last shots. Murphy laid down a good last but not enough on this occasion as Hubbard beat it easy.

On to Sunday at the Marsh Road and first score up was our Premier Junior A’s Brian O’Driscoll playing Shane Crowley for a stake of €12,100 a-side, with Crowley taking the favourites tag. After three each to the end of the footpath Crowley had thirty meters of odds. Huge fourth and fifth shots from O’Driscoll to the quarry gate but Crowley was covering and beating all tips and had a nice advantage here of forty meters. O’Driscoll followed up with a hugely important shot that went sight for the silvery gates for him a huge bowl that Crowley missed by thirty meters to give O’Driscoll his first lead. After two more shots Crowley got an unbelievable rub off the right brow and O’Driscoll’s odds now was back to half a foot. The next shots were the deciding factor, Crowley missed sight at the steps and O’Driscoll went sight with his ninth shot with the aid of a rub off the left brow. O’Driscoll was back of Thornhill cross in two more and still only throwing his odds. O’Driscoll went peeping sight for the finish and Crowley only just beat this tip. O’Driscoll missed the line and Crowley just beat it and O’Driscoll need not throw anymore.

​

In the return score Andrew O’Callaghan was a trap to line winner over Jimmy O’Driscoll playing for a stake of €10,100 a-side. O’Callaghan, off first was very left and this gave O’Driscoll a huge opportunity to raise a bowl of odds in the first shot but he was way right and missed the tip. O’Callaghan went out the steps in five and was throwing his odds over fifteen meters. After three more to the silvery gates O’Driscoll had the odds back to fifty meters with a huge eight shot, but that was as close as he got as O’Callaghan got an incredible tenth shot past the quarry gates to go a bowl up. O’Driscoll knocked the bowl past the bus entrance but O’Callaghan raised it again instantly and no way back for O’Driscoll.

DALY GETS THE BETTER OF O'DONOVAN AND MURPHY IN "DOWCHA BOY" BATTLE

In the last and final score of this very successful weekend Gary Daly came out in top against James O’Donovan and Aidan Murphy. O’Donovan’s first was of the shortest order across left, Daly got a huge bowl to the first distillery entrance, Murphy caught a manhole cover but got a good bowl twenty five meters hind of Daly, O’Donovan missed Daly’s tip with his second to fall a bowl of odds down so early in the score. Murphy got a big third shot to the bus entrance that O’Donovan missed to go a bowl down on Murphy also and take the lead on Daly as his bowl hopped the kerb. O’Donovan got an absolute miler of a fifth shot, must have been 300mt long, to knock huge odds. The next exchange was vital for all, Murphy went sight for the silvery gates, Daly followed it but missed tip by seven meters but had sight and O’Donovan just beat both tips to keep it under the bowl. Daly got a big rub off the left brow with his seventh to take the lead back from Murphy by fifty meters, O’Donovan played another super bowl and beat Daly’s tip by fifty meters. Daly went sight at the steps in two more great bowls, O’Donovan fell short by thirty meters and Murphy went a bowl down. All missed Thornhill cross, Murphy went peeping sight for Ballyhilty cross with his thirteenth, Daly missed this tip as he was very right but was still throwing his ods over Murphy, and O’Donovan got a beauty that cut the corner half way to Ballyhilty cross that won him back the lead as Daly went into the field and missed tip by twenty meters. Murphy made Ballyhilty Cross with his next Daly made the middle of the railings and a bad blunder from O’Donovan up right missed Daly’s tip to gift him back the lead again. All were still in the score at this stage. Murphy’s next only made the avenue gate, O’Donovan’s bowl was always going left and Daly was so lucky to get a huge rub out of the right dyke to beat O’Donovan’s tip by forty meters. Murphy fell out at this stage as he was a bowl down. O’Donovan’s second last went up right as did Daly’s and there was only ten meters between them for the last shots. O’Donovan opted for the left track but played it out to far and it turned in left and missed the finish line and Daly lined his up the middle and beat it easy.